Students at Hickory High School were evacuated for about 15 minutes when a four-inch gas line was broken near the south entrance of the school.

"It smelled like propane from a grill," sophomore Amanda Mlakar said, describing the odor in and around the school.

The line break occurred around 2 p.m. when a contractor for the water company broke the line as part of work for the widening project of state Route 18, said Ken Baumann, vice president and general manager of Consumers Pennsylvania Water Company, Shenango Valley Division.

"It was hit by a contractor that is installing the water line that relates to the relocation of the water lines because of the road widening," he said. "We're putting in a 12-inch water line up there, and in every case, water lines are below gas lines to prevent freezing."

The water company notified 911 and the school and students were evacuated as a precaution, Baumann said.

"The kids responded beautifully and the adults responded beautifully," Karen Ionta, Hermitage School District superintendent said. "Fifteen more minutes and they would have been out of school."

Nancy Taylor, a media spokesperson for National Fuel, said the line was shut off after 20 minutes, and that it was being repaired Friday afternoon.

She added it was not a high-pressure line and that no one was out of service.

Baumann said the water company tries to avoid hitting gas lines, but information about their whereabouts isn't always accurate.

"We usually do a pretty good job of avoiding them," he said, adding that he did not have specific details about how the actual break occurred Friday afternoon.